Defenders grab whatever they can, including his face mask, to bring down Edward Little’s Maxx Bell during the Lobster Bowl on Saturday. (Brewster Burns photo)

SACO — It happened slowly, but the East used its speed to its advantage in the 29th Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic on Saturday.

The East broke open a one-score defensive struggle at halftime with two more speed-aided touchdowns in the third quarter of a 40-14 win over the West at Thornton Academy’s Hill Stadium.

“That whole first half we were kind of feeling out the defense,” East quarterback Braden Ballard, of Lawrence, said. “We had the good looks, we just weren’t making the plays, and we knew it would come. At halftime, we made some adjustments and it all worked out for us.”

The East led 6-0 at halftime, thanks to a 56-yard catch-and-run up the left sideline for a touchdown from Ballard to Cony’s Jordan Roddy early in the second quarter.

“They were in a cover-2 man, and I knew that flat was going to be wide open, and Jordan Roddy’s a good playmaker, so I just got him the ball and he did what he does,” Ballard said.

The East passing game sputtered early, as did the offense as a whole on the first two drives, which were both three-and-outs.

The West got its offense rolling on its opening drive — until it came to a screeching halt in East territory. An incomplete pass, negative-yardage run and a 5-yard penalty pushed the West from the East 33-yard-line to the 50. The West didn’t get into East territory again until after Ballard’s scoring pass to Roddy.

“I thought we ran the ball fairly well most of the time,” West head coach Dick Mynahan, the now-retired longtime Lisbon coach, said. “I thought in the first half, maybe a few penalties … seemed to stop our drives, and they came back to haunt us.”

The East got to the door-step of scoring late in the second quarter, but the West defense stopped East quarterback Grant Hartley (Edward Little) for no gain on a run and pressured him into an incompletion before a Dawson Stevens’ (Oxford Hills) 26-yard field goal attempt sailed short and wide.

“I just think the nerves of the game initially (got to us) — plus the West was doing a few things that they weren’t quite ready for — but once we got used to what they were doing the kids executed pretty well,” East head coach Dan Cooper, of Brunswick, said.

Ballard just needed one play into the second half to throw his second touchdown of the game. After the West’s opening drive stalled at the East 47 before punting, Ballard hooked up with Jon Bell of Skowhegan for an 84-yard touchdown pass.

“They were in man coverage, and I know my receivers, and Jon Bell is really fast,” Ballard said. “They had no safety over the top, so I knew if I just got it out to him he’d make the play.”

The East stretched its lead to 20-0 on a 42-yard touchdown run by Messalonskee’s Austin Pelletier late in the third quarter. Pelletier was named the East’s offensive MVP after rushing for 116 yards on 15 carries and catching a screen pass for another 12.

“He’s amazing,” Cooper said.

The West finally got on the board with just over one minute to play in the third, with Falmouth QB Jack Bryant keeping the ball for a 4-yard touchdown run.

The East continued to pull away after that, however. Hartley threw a passing touchdown of his own, a 14-yard strike to Jack Freeman of Oceanside, and Garrett Poussard of Lewiston ran it in from 3 yards out to make it 33-7 midway through the fourth.

“They were just a good team, and once it got kind of turned around it got out of hand a little bit,” Mynahan said.

Bryant led another scoring drive to counter Poussard’s touchdown run. The West offensive MVP completed all three of his passing attempts on the drive, which ended with a 51-yard touchdown to Madison’s Sean Whalen.

“We just played a little more sound football, I guess, and completed a few passes, kids held onto it,” Mynahan said.

Bryant was 8-for-13 passing for 140 yards, and he ran the ball five times for 30 more yards.

The East defense got the last laugh. Portland’s Vinni Pasquali intercepting a pass from Bonny Eagle QB Connor Sirois and returning it 48 yards for a touchdown. Pasquali was named the East’s defensive MVP.

“We just had a great defense. We had speed all over the place, guys who were hungry to play well, and they played their butts off,” Cooper said.

Thornton Academy linebacker Cameron Houde was named the West defensive MVP after recording a couple handfuls of tackles.

The East cut into its deficit in the series, which is still 19-10 in favor of the West.

Head coach Dick Mynahan addresses the West team after the Lobster Bowl at Thornton Academy in Saco on Saturday. (Brewster Burns photo)Under pressure, Edward Little’s Grant Hartley releases a pass to Skowhegan’s Cam Barnes during the Lobster Bowl at Thornton Academy in Saco on Saturday. (Brewster Burns photo)Mt. Valley’s Curtis Gauvin, center, tackles Winslow’s Ryan Fredette. (Brewster Burns photo)Oxford Hills’ Dawson Stevens attempts an extra point during the Lobster Bowl at Thornton Academy in Saco on Saturday. (Brewster Burns photo)Oxford Hills’s Jordan Silver, center, moves in to tackle Kennebunk’s Jake Littlefield during the Lobster Bowl at Thornton Academy in Saco on Saturday. (Brewster Burns photo)Messalonskee’s Austin Pelletier breaks through the line for a long touchdown run in the Lobster Bowl at Thornton Academy in Saco on Saturday. (Brewster Burns photo)Falmouth’s Jack Bryant looks for an open man as he slips out of the pocket during the Lobster Bowl at Thornton Academy in Saco on Saturday. (Brewster Burns photo)East Offensive MVP Austin Pelletier of Messalonskee breaks through a hole in the line during the Lobster Bowl at Thornton Academy in Saco on Saturday. (Brewster Burns photo)